Proposed Statement on the Biblical View of Unborn Life and Its Implications for

Abortion (Draft Version)

POSAG 7, Sequel to BRI version 18Human beings are created in the image of God. Part of the gift that God has given us ashumans is procreation, the ability to participate in creation along with the author of life.This sacred gift should always be valued and treasured. In God’s original plan everypregnancy should be an expression of the love between a man and a woman committedto each other in marriage. Every pregnancy should be wanted and each baby should beloved, valued and nurtured even before birth. Unfortunately, since the entrance of sin,Satan has made decided efforts to mar the image of God by defacing all of God’s gifts—including the gift of procreation. As a result, individuals are at times faced with difficultdilemmas and decisions regarding a pregnancy.While the Seventh-day Adventist Church is not the conscience of individual believers,the Church has the obligation to convey the principles and teachings of the Word of Godthat affirm the sanctity of life and inform the issue of abortion. Seventh-day Adventistsaim at being true to the teachings and principles of the Holy Scriptures which expressGod’s values on life and provide guidance for prospective mothers and fathers, medicalpersonnel, churches, and all believers in matters of faith, doctrine, ethical behavior, andlifestyle. This statement reflects biblical principles bearing on abortion. Abortion as usedin this statement is defined as any action aimed at the termination of a pregnancy anddoes not include miscarriages or the spontaneous termination of a pregnancy.Biblical Principles and Teachings Relating to AbortionAs the practice of abortion must be weighed in the light of Scripture, the followingbiblical principles and teachings provide guidance for the community of faith andindividuals affected by such difficult choices:1. God upholds the value and sacredness of human life. Human life is of the greatestvalue to God. This is so because God created humanity in His image (Gen 1:27; 2:7)and has a personal interest in people. God loves them and communicates with them,and they in turn can love Him.Life is a gift of God, and God is the Giver of life. In fact, God and Jesus are equated withlife. In Jesus is life (John 1:4). He has life in Himself (John 5:26). He is the resurrectionand the life (John 11:25; 14:6). He provides abundant life (John 10:10). Those who havethe Son have life (1 John 5:12). He is also the Sustainer of life (Acts 17:25-28; Col 1:17;Heb 1:1-3), and the Holy Spirit is described as the Spirit of life (Rom 8:2). God caresdeeply for His creation and especially for humankind.Furthermore, the importance of human life is made clear by the fact that, after the fall(Gen 3), God gave His Son on behalf of humanity to save people and to give them thepossibility of receiving eternal life (John 3:16; Rom 5:6; 1 John 4:9-10). While God couldhave abandoned and terminated sinful humanity, He opted for life. Consequently,Christ’s followers will be raised from the dead and will live as unique individuals in directcommunion with God (John 11:25-26; 1 Thess 4:15-16; Rev 21:3). Thus, human life isof inestimable value. This is true for all stages of human life: the unborn, children ofvarious ages, adolescents, adults, and seniors—independent of physical, mental, andemotional capacities. It is also true for all humans independent of sex, color, ethnicity,social status, religion, and whatever else may distinguish them. Such an understandingof the sanctity of life gives inviolable and equal value to each and every human life andrequires it to be treated with the utmost respect and care.2. God considers the unborn child as human life. Prenatal life is precious in God’s sight,and the Bible describes God’s knowledge of people before they were conceived. “Youreyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written,the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them” (Ps 139:16). In certaincases, God directly guided prenatal life. Samson was to “be a Nazirite to God from thewomb” (Judg 13:5). The servant of God is “called from the womb” (Isa 49:1, 5).Jeremiah was already chosen as a prophet before his birth (Jer 1:5), as was Paul (Gal1:15), and John the Baptist was to “be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’swomb” (Luke 1:15). Of Jesus the angel Gabriel explained to Mary: “therefore the child tobe born will be called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). In His Incarnation JesusHimself experienced the human prenatal period and was recognized as the Messiahand Son of God soon after His conception (Luke 1:40-45). The Bible already attributesto the unborn child joy (Luke 1:44) and even rivalry (Gen 25:21-23). Procreation occursthrough God’s providence, and those not-yet-born have a firm place with God (Job 10:8-12; 31:13-15). Biblical law shows a strong regard for protecting human life andconsiders harm to or the loss of a baby or mother as a result of a violent act a seriousissue (Exod 21:22-23).3. The will of God regarding human life is expressed in the Ten Commandments andexplained by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. The Decalogue was given to God’scovenant people and is to guide their lives and protect them. Its commandments areunchanging truths which should be cherished, respected, and obeyed. The Psalmistpraises God’s law (e.g., Ps 119), and Paul calls it holy, righteous, and good (Rom 7:12).The sixth commandment states: “You shall not kill” (Exod 20:13), which calls for thepreservation of human life. The principle to preserve life enshrined in the sixthcommandment places abortion within its scope. Jesus reinforced and broadened thecommandment not to kill in Matthew 5:21-22. Life is not measured by individuals’abilities or their usefulness, but by the value that God’s sacrificial love has placed on it.It is protected by God. Personhood, human value, and salvation are not earned ormerited but graciously granted by God.4. God is the Owner of life, and human beings are His stewards. Scripture teaches thatGod owns everything (Ps 50:10-12). God has a dual claim on humans. They are Hisbecause He is their Creator and therefore He owns them. They are also His becauseHe is their Redeemer and has bought them with the highest possible price—His own life(1 Cor 6:19-20). This means that all human beings are stewards of whatever God hasentrusted to them, including their own lives, the lives of their children, and the unborn.The stewardship of life also includes carrying responsibilities which in some ways limittheir choices (1 Cor 9:19-22). Since God is the Giver and Owner of life, human beingsdo not have ultimate control over themselves and should seek to preserve life whereverpossible. The principle of the stewardship of life obligates the community of believers toguide, support, care for, and love those facing decisions about pregnancies.5. The Bible teaches care for the weak and the vulnerable. God Himself cares for thosewho are disadvantaged and oppressed and protects them. He “shows no partiality nortakes a bribe. He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves thestranger, giving him food and clothing” (Deut 10:18, cf. Ps 82:3-4; Jas 1:27). He doesnot hold children accountable for the sins of their fathers (Eze 18:20). God expects thesame of His children. They are called to help vulnerable people and ease their lot (Ps41:1; 82:3-4; Acts 20:35). Jesus speaks of the least of His brothers (Matt 25:40), forwhom His followers are responsible, and of the little ones who should not be despisedor lost (Matt 18:10-14). The very youngest, namely the unborn, should be countedamong them (Isa 58:7-11).6. God’s grace promotes life in a world marred by sin and death. It is God’s nature toprotect, preserve, and sustain life. In addition to the providence of God over His creation(Ps 103:19; Col 1:17; Heb 1:3), the Bible acknowledges the wide-ranging, devastating,and degrading effects of sin on the creation, including on human bodies. In Romans8:20-24 Paul describes the impact of the fall as subjecting the creation to futility.Consequently, in rare and extreme cases, human conception may produce pregnancieswith potentially fatal prospects and/or acute, life-threatening birth anomalies that presentindividuals and couples with exceptional dilemmas. Decisions in such cases may be leftto the conscience of the individuals involved and their families. These decisions shouldbe well-informed and guided by the Holy Spirit and the biblical view of life outlinedabove. God’s grace promotes and protects life. Individuals, in these challengingsituations may come to Him in sincerity and find direction, comfort, and peace in theLord.ImplicationsAbortion is a serious issue, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church considers it out ofharmony with God’s biblical plan for human life. It affects the unborn, the mother, thefather, immediate and extended family members, the church family, and society withlong-term consequences for all. Believers aim to trust God and follow His will for them,knowing He has their best interests in mind.While not condoning abortion, the church seeks to support women and couples who areconfronted with the possibility of abortion, and believers are challenged to (1) create anatmosphere of true love; (2) enlist the help of well-functioning and committed familiesand educate them to provide care for struggling individuals, couples, and families; (3)encourage church members to open their homes to those in need, including singleparents, parentless children, and children in adoptive or foster care; (4) care deeply forand support in various ways pregnant women who decide to keep their unborn children;and (5) provide emotional and spiritual support to those who have aborted a child forvarious reasons or were forced to have it done and may be hurting physically,emotionally, and/or spiritually.The issue of abortion presents enormous challenges, but it gives individuals and thechurch the opportunity to be what they aspire to be, the fellowship of brothers andsisters, the community of believers, the family of God.